Method of assemblying a flexible tube within a handle

ABSTRACT

An extension handle adapted for use with paint rollers and the like in the form of a rigid metal tube having a flexible tube assembled therein for combined rigidity and lightness. A method is provided for assembling the tube which is plastic in the rigid tube by way of stretching an end part of the flexible tube out of the rigid tube, clamping it, securing a rigid fitting to the end of the flexible tube, allowing the tube to retract to draw the fitting into the rigid tube, and then securing the fitting to the end of the rigid tube.

United States Patent Weston [451 Sept. 19, 1972 v [5 METHOD OF ASSEMBLYING A 2,695,182 11/1954 Falz ..29/455 X FLEXIBLE TUBE WITHIN A HANDLE 3,196,535 7/1965 Crawford et a1 ..29/446 72 Inventor; Edward C Weston, 39 y 3,246,394 4/1966 Meyer ..29/446 Ave., Hawthorne, Calif, 90250 3,376,625 4/1968 McCulloch ..29/455 X [22] Filed: 1971 7 Primary Examiner-Charlie T. Moon [21] App1.No.: 118,896 Attorney-Herzig & Walsh 52 us. Cl. ..29/455, 29/234, 29/235, [57] ABSTRACT 29/516, 285/ 138 An extension handle adapted for use with paint rollers [51 Int. Cl ..B21d 39/00, 1323p 19/04 and the like in the form of a rigid metal tube having a Field 01 Search flexible tube assembled therein for combined rigidity 29/237, 455, 516; 285/1 and lightness. A method is provided for assembling the tube which is plastic in the rigid tube by way of [56] References Clted stretching an end part of the flexible tube out of the tube, clamping it, securing a fitting t0 the end of the flexible tube, allowing the tube to retract to X draw the into tube, and then ecuring 1,721,155 7/1929 Johnson "29/234 UX the fitti to the end f the rigid tuba 2,209,403 7/1940 Klttner et a1 ..29/235 X 2,616,729 11/1952 Hansen ..285/138 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures P'A'TENTEDsEP 19 1912 Q NW W INVENTOR. fad/46.0 6: 1 1 5570 METHOD OF ASSEMBLYING A FLEXIBLE TUBE WITHIN A HANDLE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an article which is primarily adapted as an extension handle for use as for an example with a paint roller, although it could be adapted in many other ways. The extension handle is in the form of a rigid steel tube having assembled within it a flexible tube preferably made of plastic.

A utilitarian article such as a paint roller typically has an elongated handle and frequently it is necessary that a still longer handle is required for particular usages, and for this purpose an extension handle may be provided. Typically, of course, the handle is connected to the paint roller at one end and at the other end it is connected to a flexible hose leading to a pressure tank in which the paint is maintained under pressure, and is driven through the flexible line to the paint roller. Typically, an extension handle as known in the prior art is in the form of a metal tube with a smaller concentric steel tube inside of it through which the paint is carried. These handles are in the first place too heavy, and in the second place, not long enough. The primary object of the herein invention is accordingly to provide an extension handle which is not heavy and which at the same time can be made sufficiently long without being too heavy while still being rigid. This is accomplished in the herein invention by way of an assembly of a rigid tube with a flexible tube assembled within it. Thus the necessary rigidity is present in a handle that can be made long enough and yet which is not too heavy to be readily manipulated. The realization of these ends constitutes objects of the invention.

The matter of constructing a handle as a rigid tube with a flexible tube inside of it is not as easy as might be thought. The herein invention has a further purpose and object of providing a unique but convenient method for assembling the handle in the form of a rigid metal tube with a flexible tube within it. The method involvesa particular step by step technique in making the assembly or construction of the finished article, further objects of the invention residing in the provision of and making available of this improved method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred exemplary form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view illustrating the method or technique of assembling the flexible tube within the rigid tube;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred form of the extension handle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. Numeral l designates a typical paint roller mounted on a central arbor or stem from which extends a gooseneck manipulating stem part 14, having a straight part 16, which connects to the handle. Paint rollers are of course conventional, it being understood that the central arbor or stem is perforated to allow paint to flow through to the absorbent roller surface. The stem part 14 is tubular for purposes of carrying paint to the paint roller.

The improved extension handle of the invention is designated at 20, the extension handle being positioned between the tube 16 and the primary handle 22. Primary handle 22 is a typical unit in the form of a cylindrical handle, the end part 24 being in the form of a fitting embodying a manual valve 26 having an operating knob 28 for shutting off the flow of paint or other material that may be fed through it. At the rear end of the handle 22 it is internally threaded to receive fitting 30 on the end of a flexible hose 32 leading to the pressurized paint container.

The construction of the extension handle is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. It comprises a rigid tube 40 which may be a steel tube and concentrically assembled within the rigid tube is the smaller flexible tube 42 which may be made of plastic for example. Similar fittings are provided in the opposite ends of the rigid tube 40.

Fitting assembly at the right end in FIG. 3 is designated generally by the numeral 50. It comprises a bushing 52 having an internally threaded bore 54. This bushing has a diameter to snugly fit within the end of the rigid tube 40. The bushing 52 has an'annular groove 56 spaced from the end as shown. Numeral 60 designates a threaded sleeve that is threaded into the bore 54. This sleeve has a threaded bore 62 and an end flange 64. The handle 22 has an extending threaded stem 56 which is threaded into the bore 62 for attaching the extension handle 20 to the handle 22.

When the fitting or assembly 50 is in position in the end of the rigid tube 40, the end part of the rigid tube is swaged inwardly to the annular groove 56 forming an inwardly extending rib as designated at 57 so that the bushing 52 is held in place. On the other hand, the bushing may simply be brazed to the end of the rigid tube 40.

Numeral designates a plug and nipple fitting having a threaded end part 72 that is threaded into the bore 62, the threaded end part being adjacent a cylindrical part 74 of slightly larger diameter with a nipple part 76 extending from the part 74. The nipple part has a diameter of a size to fit into the end of the flexible tube 42. It has a plurality of tapered sections as designated at 80 providing square shoulders between the sections so that the end of the tube 42 can be fitted over the nipple and held in engagement therewith by friction.

The assembly at the opposite end of the extension handle 20 is the same with corresponding parts identified by the same reference characters primed.

The extension handle 20 is assembled between the paint roller and the regular handle 22 in the manner show in FIG. 1 such that all of its particular characteristics can be taken advantage of, that is, it can be made to have adequate length; it is light in weight, but yet possesses the necessary rigidity.

The invention provides a unique and highly effective technique and method for assembly or constructing the extension handle as shown in detail in FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 illustrates the technique or method of assembly. In executing the method, the flexible tube 42 is run through the rigid tube 40 which is initially open at both ends. The rigid tube 40 may be held in a vice for example and one end of the flexible tube 42 is held by any suitable means. Flexible tube 42 is then stretched so that an end is pulled out of the end of the rigid tube 40 as shown in FIG. 2. The end part is then clamped by means of a suitable clamp designated schematically at 94. The part of the tube beyond the clamp is designated at 96. Fitting assembly 50 is as shown in FIG. 2 and as described in detail in connection with FIG. 3. Nipple 76 is then fitted to or assembled to the end 96 of the tube to provide secure engagement therebetween. The clamp 94 is then released, releasing the tension in the stretched tube 42, which retracts and pulls its end part into the rigid tube 40 and the fitting assembly 50 is drawn into the rigid tube 40 into a position as shown in FIG. 3. It is then secured to the end of the rigid tube 40 in a manner already described. In completing the assembly at the left end of the rigid tube 40, the same steps are executed as just described so that the end fitting 50 is in place and also secured to the end of the rigid tube 40 with the assembly appearing in cross section as shown in FIG. 3. As previously pointed out, the completed assembly forms the extension handle which can be utilized as illustrated in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand and appreciate the nature of the invention and the method and the manner in which the invention achieves and realizes all of the objectives and advantages as set forth in the foregoing. Particularly,

the finished article embodies the design characteristics of combined rigidity, strength and lightness.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assembling a flexible elastic tube within a rigid tube comprising extending the flexible elastic tube through the rigid tube, elastically stretching one end part of the flexible elastic tube out of an end part of the rigid tube while the other end of the flexible elastic tube is secured to the other end of the rigid tube, clamping a stretched part of the flexible elastic tube outside of the end of the rigid tube in order to hold it, attaching a rigid fitting to the end of the flexible elastic tube that can be received in the end of the rigid tube, unclamping the flexible elastic tube, allowing the flexible elastic tube to retract to cause the fitting to be drawn into the end of the rigid tube and then securing the fitting to the end of the rigid tube.

2. A method as in claim 1 including the step of brazing the rigid fitting to the end of the rigid tube.

3. A method as in claim 1, including securing the flexible elastic tube to a threaded nipple member and threading said member into said rigid fitting.

4. A method as in claim 3, including the step of threadedly coupling said rigid fitting to a handle providing communication of fluid material through the handle and said nipple member to the flexible tube. 

1. A method of assembling a flexible elastic tube within a rigid tube comprising extending the flexible elastic tube through the rigid tube, elastically stretching one end part of the flexible elastic tube out of an end part of the rigid tube while the other end of the flexible elastic tube is secured to the other end of the rigid tube, clamping a stretched part of the flexible elastic tube outside of the end of the rigid tube in order to hold it, attaching a rigid fitting to the end of the flexible elastic tube that can be received in the end of the rigid tube, unclamping the flexible elastic tube, allowing the flexible elastic tube to retract to cause the fitting to be drawn into the end of the rigid tube and then securing the fitting to the end of the rigid tube.
 2. A method as in claim 1 including the step of brazing the rigid fitting to the end of the rigid tube.
 3. A method as in claim 1, including securing the flexible elastic tube to a threaded nipple member and threading said member into said rigid fitting.
 4. A method as in claim 3, including the step of threadedly coupling said rigid fitting to a handle providing communication of fluid material through the handle and said nipple member to the flexible tube. 